Environmental groups warn against opening roads for cars in Bucharest’s Băneasa Forest

Bucharest’s Băneasa Forest, one of the Romanian capital’s most important green lungs, is at the center of a growing dispute as environmental groups warn of irreversible damage if forest roads are opened to car traffic.

More than 40 non-governmental organizations and civic groups, together with the Bucharest Environmental Platform, issued an open letter on Tuesday, August 26, urging the Ministry of Environment to immediately block any plans to open forest roads for vehicles. They argue that such a move would violate the Forestry Code (Law no. 331/2024) and threaten the ecological integrity of the Băneasa Forest, a key part of the Bucharest-Ilfov Green Belt.

According to the Bucharest Natural Park Association, for nearly two decades, the developer of the Greenfield residential complex has sought access roads through the forest, despite urban planning obligations requiring connections to the city’s ring road. The NGOs say that opening the forest road between Consolight and Aleea Padina would accelerate uncontrolled expansion of the neighborhood and fragment the forest beyond repair.

“The road in question is public property of the Romanian state and part of the national forest fund, where the Forestry Code explicitly prohibits public vehicle access,” the signatories warned.

They stressed that Băneasa Forest is vital for the health of Bucharest residents, serving as both a recreational area and a natural habitat. Allowing cars into the area, they said, would destroy habitats, increase pollution, and undermine the right to a healthy environment.

The groups are calling on environment minister Diana Buzoianu to take a clear public stance against opening the forest roads, to review the legality of a toll contract signed between the Ilfov Forestry Directorate and the Greenfield Băneasa Federation, and to initiate procedures to declare the forest a protected natural area. They also demanded full transparency through publication of the contract, which involves public assets.

Environmentalists warn that the move could set a dangerous precedent, paving the way for other forests across Romania to be opened to real estate development.

“Such a decision would lead to habitat degradation, the disappearance of protected species, and the transformation of forests from ecological sanctuaries into traffic arteries,” states the open letter.